TORONTO and LINTHICUM, MD, Sept. 15 /CNW/ - MTS Allstream Inc. ("MTS Allstream"), one of Canada's leading national communication solutions companies, and Ciena(R) Corporation (NASDAQ: CIEN) ("Ciena"), the network specialist, today announced a strategic partnership that will see MTS Allstream launch the next generation of Managed Wavelength Services to its business customers across Canada that require resilient network solutions for mission critical applications. MTS Allstream also joined Ciena's BizConnect global partner program as a designated Managed Services Provider (MSP) partner.

This strategic partnership will enable the delivery of differentiated, high-speed managed optical services capable of transporting any type of protocol or network traffic to a variety of customers in MTS Allstream's markets, serving major Canadian metropolitan areas including Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Based on Ciena's CN 4200(R) FlexSelect(R) Advanced Services Platform, MTS Allstream's managed optical networks will enable service flexibility and wavelength efficiency, while optimizing capacity to address high-bandwidth requirements for storage backup and disaster recovery needs.

"MTS Allstream has achieved another critical milestone in delivering true value to our customers and transforming the way our customers do business," said Dean Prevost, President Enterprise Solutions, MTS Allstream. "Whether it's a large business or a carrier using our wavelength services, our investment in state of the art technology guarantees the network is available at the right time, and the right place to ensure customers have access to the most advanced, reliable telecommunications services in the country."

"The practical innovations within our portfolio, coupled with the comprehensive resources of our BizConnect program, offers our partners operational and management simplicity while enabling high- value managed services that can be tailored flexibly to meet the needs of evolving enterprise applications," said Theresa Caragol, Vice President, Global Alliances & Partners at Ciena. "BizConnect already serves a strong base of MSP partners, and we are excited to welcome MTS Allstream as our latest member."

In addition to deploying Ciena's CN 4200 to enable new managed services, MTS Allstream also deployed the CN 4200 across its metro and regional infrastructure nationwide to support the transition from a legacy, ring-based SONET network to a next-generation, scalable architecture that supports a growing range of high- bandwidth, IP-based services.

About MTS Allstream

MTS Allstream is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. As one of Canada's leading national communication solutions companies, MTS Allstream provides innovative communications for the way Canadians want to live and work today. The Company has more than 100 years of experience, with 6,000 employees across Canada dedicated to a mission of delivering true value as seen through the eyes of our customers. In 2008, MTS Allstream had nearly two million total customer connections spanning business customers across Canada and residential consumers throughout the province of Manitoba. The Company's extensive national broadband and fibre optic network spans almost 30,000 kilometres. MTS Allstream is a proud sponsor of Cindy Klassen, 2006 World Champion and Canada's greatest Olympian, and a proud contributor to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Manitoba Telecom Services Inc.'s common shares are listed on The Toronto Stock Exchange (trading symbol: MBT). Customers, stakeholders and investors who want to learn more about MTS Allstream services, markets, community commitments and record of creating shareholder value are encouraged to visit: www.mtsallstream.com.

About Ciena

Ciena specializes in practical network transition. We offer leading network infrastructure solutions, intelligent software and a comprehensive services practice to help our customers use their networks to fundamentally change the way they compete. With a global presence, Ciena leverages its heritage of practical innovation to deliver maximum performance and economic value in communications networks worldwide. We routinely post recent news, financial results and other important announcements and information about Ciena on our website. For more information, visit www.ciena.com.

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